He's quite a Keeper!
by MarauderROCKSTAR
Summary: Lily is noticing James' attentions a just little bit more just recently, and after a nasty bust-up during a transfiguration lesson, Lily is left questioning her feelings. ROMANCE/HUMOR - not too fluffy until the very end, i promise! : JPxLE Marauder Era


I wrote this quite a while ago, when I was going through a big Lily/James phase. I did post it at one point, then started something new and deleted it. Now I want to be a BetaReader though, so I need stories on here! So, I hope you enjoy it anyway - tell me if you like it ;D

XxX

Lily was sat on her bed in the girls' dormitory of Gryffindor tower. She had managed to sneak some humbugs from the feast (Dumbledore always served them on the desserts table) and was sitting down against her bed-head sucking on one as she tried to read a book she'd got from the library. It was about the giant wars in the Middle East, and it was as thick as a house brick. She had she was planning to carry on taking History of Magic, unlike many in her year. As she scanned across the page she found herself reading the same line over and over.

_'…when they were forced by the Chief Warlock, Ernie Shackleburg, to give up their attempts of teaching Ogres in the mountains of the Middle East. This is caused many more riots in…'_

Lily's eyes bean to droop, as she tried to read the blurred text about Bernise Shagessbug giving up teaching orgies in the mountains in the Middle feast. Slowly, her eyes closed and her head fell sleepily to the side.

She found herself in the Astronomy tower, where Professor Dumbledore sat looking into a box, which appeared to be full of socks stitched with Severus Snape's face all over them. As he held them up, Dumbledore giggled with delight, squealing, "Oh! My favourite!" before running to the window and watching Professor McGonagall and Peter Pettigrew fly on a broomstick, and crash into what looked like a floating head. James Potter's floating head.

Lily actually screamed, and woke up with a start.

She screamed again when she realised that James Potter's head (fully attached to his body) had appeared through her scarlet bed hangings. She swallowed a humbug whole, and began to choke. James quickly came to the "rescue" and patted her way too hard on the back. Lily clutched her chest as she breathed heavily.

"Bloody hell, Potter! Do you want to give me a heart attack?"

"…"

"Why are you up here? This is the girls' dorms!"

"…"

"And how did you even get up here? What happened to the sliding staircase?"

At this comment James grinned sheepishly and pointed towards the door. When Lily looked over she saw a broomstick (a Cleansweep 4 to be exact) propped up against the wall. She laughed and put her hand across her forehand. A broomstick. She should've known.

Once she had stopped laughing, and James still hadn't spoken a word, Lily enquired further.

"So Potter, what were you planning to do once you'd got up here? You can't have tricked the staircase for no reason… well, now come to think of it, that's the sort of thing you do…."

"Well, Lily, I just wanted to give you something."

After James had spoken he had looked shyly down into his hands. Lily actually thought he looked quite sweet. Urgh! She thought, Please tell me I did not just think that!

"Well Potter. What is it?"

It happened in a second. James had leant forward, faster than sound and kissed her, his lips only brushing hers. He pulled away just as quick, and had bolted away from the bed, grabbed his broom, and slid down the stone slide that had appeared in place of the stairs. Lily was left to sit shocked, her fingers gently touching the place where James Potter had left his mark.

XxX

Lily Evans was no ordinary witch of fifteen. She was exceptionally bright, getting top in all of her classes, and spending vast amounts of time in the library. Some called her a geek, a square, a boffin (but they were mainly Slytherins). Others in the school thought she was the best witch of her age, not minding a bit whether she studied or not. For example, Remus Lupin was one of those people. Then there was the final group, who wished that Evans would have more fun, not worry so much and lighten up. Two of these people were Sirius Black and James Potter.

Lily sat in the far corner of the library, thick books piled so high that you could barely see the top of her red head. The table was littered with scraps of parchment, and scribbled with notes in handwriting so neat that it could rival Professor McGonagall's. She was in the middle of writing a sentence about transfiguring a turtle into a teapot (one that often came up at O.W.L level) when her huge pile of books suddenly fell straight on top of her. She was trapped under a pile of books, she could hardly breathe or call for help, and she could feel several sharp corners digging into her side. Just as she breathed in a large amount of dust and began coughing, she could hear the scrambling of feet, and books being lifted simultaneously. _Wingardium Leviosa._

When there was a hole sufficient enough to see through, Lily could distinctly see the face of the last person she'd wanted to save her. Again.

James Potter.

When the last books were lifted and piled neatly beside the table, James leaned forward and stretched out his hand. Unwillingly, Lily took it, and was soon standing and wiping the dust all over her school uniform.

"Took quite a fall there Evans."

"Thank you Potter, I wouldn't have known if you hadn't just told me." Lily droned sarcastically. James' expression stayed the same, and he just smiled as she picked up her bag and slung it over he shoulder.

"Well… er… thanks Potter."

She held out her hand and he shook it. She began to walk away and passed him, before realising his hand was still gripping hers. When she tried to move, he kept a firm hold.

"Potter… get off."

He let go goofily, and watched her as she walked out of the common room. He stood thinking about how shiny her hair was when she came back in again and walking straight past him and sat back at the table, mumbling something about an unfinished transfiguration essay. James smiled to himself, and walked out of the library. He would never wash his hand again.

XxX

"Prongs, if you don't wash your hand now you'll get a disease or something!"

It had been over a fortnight since James Potter's encounter with Lily in the library, and he had not washed his hand since then. He had even made sure he stuck his hand out of the cubicle every time he'd had a shower. Now, sitting in the Gryffindor Common room, contemplating over a particularly tricky piece of Potions homework, his fellow Marauders were sickening over his muddy, grimy hand, with brown stuck under his fingernails.

"Seriously James," said Remus, looking genuinely concerned and staring at his friend's dirty right hand. "Padfoot's right. Have you been eating using that hand? Because that actually makes me feel sick."

James just glared at him, whilst pulling his hand from the grip of Peter, who had wet a rag and was about to start scrubbing at his hand with a piece of soap while James was preoccupied. Peter sighed with defeat.

"Shut up you lot!" James said, stacking up his homework and leaving a grime mark along the table. Remus looked like he was actually going to be sick. James rose from the table they were sitting at, and began walking away, saying, "I'm not going to wash my hand. I don't care if it gives me a disease!"

"You know, I'm not sure if Lily would like walking around holding hands with a guy who stinks of 100 year old doxy eggs."

James stopped with his back turned to the Marauders. Sirius gave a triumphant grin. James carried on walking up to the dormitory. He could be heard shouting loudly as he reached the stone steps.

"Alright! I'll clean my damn hand!"

XxX

"Lily. Lily? Lily! Oh for goodness' sake! LILY!"

Lily finally snapped out of her daze. She was sitting in the common room studying (she didn't dare go into the library still) and had been out of it for the past ten minutes. She'd found herself daydreaming more and more over the past few weeks, and had just been brought back to reality by Remus Lupin; he was a good friend, but Lily didn't like his being part of the Marauders. She thought Remus was too smart and talented for that kind of thing.

Remus was now sitting facing her, with a concerned look on his face.

"Is there something wrong, Remus?" Lily asked.

"Well, I should be asking you the same," said Remus, laying aside his homework; charms could wait. "Lily, what's been going on? You've been acting strange over the past couple of weeks. Not paying attention, getting low marks on homework, you've been avoiding the Marauders all week. Is there something you want to talk about?"

Lily knew she could always count on Remus to be there.

"Listen," said Lily, glancing over her shoulder to see who was near. When she saw no one was within ear-shot, she continued. "Remus, you're one of my best friends, so you've got to promise me you won't tell anyone about this."

Remus nodded. Lily started contemplating what to say next. She decided she'd have to say it as it was.

"Potter kissed me! Now I keep catching him staring at me! Everywhere I turn I see Potter! And now it's like I can't escape him! and…" she hesitated for a second, "I think I'm starting to like it."

Remus had been nodding understandingly throughout the whole of Lily's little speech, but when she said this last line, his eyes widened, and he had to stop his jaw from dropping. He had known all about the kiss, and James was in fact following Lily a bit, but he had never expected it to have this affect. Lily had never truly disliked James, but Remus had thought James' foolish attempts of 'wooing' her were going to turn her against him for good. But Remus stayed calm, and just began nodding again.

"Oh Remus, what the hell am I supposed to do? Potter's following me round like a lost puppy and I'm actually enjoying it! I enjoy his company because he's funny, and smart, and intelligent, and… smart…" Lily put her hand to her chin and gazed dreamily up to the ceiling. She sighed longingly. "And he plays quidditch… and he's smart… and not to mention gorgeous… and funny… did I already say that?"

"Lily, you didn't swallow a love potion instead of pumpkin juice for dinner, did you?"

But Lily wasn't listening. She had stopped talking and was just daydreaming again, sighing at frequent intervals. Her eyes had glazed over, and looked bigger and greener than ever. Remus didn't know what to do.

"Err, listen Lily. If you like Pot – I mean, James. Then tell him, because the way he's acting, he obviously likes you too. I mean, _he's_ the one following _you. _So of course it'll be ok… Lily?"

Lily didn't appear to have heard a word, so Remus took the chance to slip away to the boys' dorms, leaving her to sit daydreaming for a while. Until she coughed during mid-sigh and 'woke' herself out of it.

"Hey. Where's Remus?"

XxX

In the weeks that followed Lily didn't say another word about Potter, and had actually regretted telling Remus soon after he'd left. She decided that if none of them ever talked of it again, it would soon wear off. It was just a phase. But a nice one.

XxX

Peter looked round the corner on the 3rd floor. Madam Pomfrey and the Hospital Wing were just a few metres away, and the door to Dumbledore's office, just a few doors after that. Peter began hurriedly, talking to himself as he scuttled silently down the corridor. In his head, he was replaying all the things James and Sirius had told him just a few minutes before:

_"Just a distraction Peter. That's all – a distraction."_

_"Just tell her you like her hair or something."_

_"Eyes are good. Eyes are always good."_

Peter could still see their faces when they had looked expectedly at him in the common room.

"_So what are you Peter?"_

_"A distraction."_

_"Good boy."_

XxX

James and Sirius could see Peter walking towards the Hospital Wing from a crack in the door of the broom cupboard they were currently vacating. Not only could they see his plump little figure scurrying past, but they also see the tiny dot labelled Peter Pettigrew on their enchanted map. The Marauders Map.

As they scanned this map more closely, they could also see the dot of Remus Lupin, sitting in the common room, reading a book no doubt.

"Stubborn git." Sirius mumbled, as James pointed out their friend. "Never been one for fun, has he Moony?"

James put on a serious tone and a straight face. He pointed his finger in the air. " 'I am a prefect, and I'm sorry to be 'betraying' you all, but my prefect duties come before marauding.' Stupid idiot. As if they'd ever de-prefect Moony. He's too good."

"Is de-prefect a word?"

"I don't know."

"Where's Remus when you need him."

"Shut up now, I can hear Peter."

Sure enough they could hear Peter behind the other side of the Hospital Wing doors.

"So! Madam Pomfrey… how are you today… you're, err…looking lovely."

There was an awkward pause.

"Well, thank you Mr Pettigrew."

Another awkward pause. Much longer this time.

"Has anyone ever told you have very… err… lovely brown eyes, Madam Pomfrey?"

"Mr Pettigrew, I have green eyes."

Peter smiled sheepishly. He would have to resort to Plan B.

"Oh Madam Pomfrey - sniff - I've been getting this pain in my right arm for a couple of days now…" a single tear fell down his podgy cheek. He knew those acting classes would come in handy one day. He put a hand across his forehead. "I – I – I feel so weak!"

And then he fell to the floor, a real look a shock as he fainted. Remus' wand could be seen through a small gap in the door. _Wormtail was always good at acting _he thought to himself as he strolled back down along the corridor, Madam Pomfrey's shrieks growing fainter as he turned the corner.

XxX

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

"RUN AWAY!"

"GET IT AWAY FROM ME!"

"EWWW!"

Sirius smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Ahh, the sound of success."

XxX

"Sorry Professor."

"We won't do it again, Sir."

"I should think not!" said Slughorn from the velvet chair behind his desk. "I thought you were turning over a new leaf this year, boys! I thought you were going to focus on your studies! Focus on doing well rather than planning out a way to scare the Slytherins!"

Sirius grinned as he remembered his speech to Slughorn from last year.

_"We're sorry Professor!"_

_"We didn't mean it!"_

_"I should think not!"_

_"Next year we'll be better Professor, you'll see."_

_"Yeah, we'll turn over a new leaf, focus on our studies! We'll plan a homework timetable instead of planning a prank to scare Slytherins. We will be better students, better friends, and most of all… better people!"_

_James wiped away a pretend tear as he put a hand across his heart._

XxX

Over the next fortnight, Sirius and James could be seen each evening scrubbing out the bedpans of the Hospital Wing, or De-griming the bottoms of cauldrons in the dungeons. As they entered the common room on their last evening of detention (cleaning the top of Hagrid's cabin to get rid of the Thestral dung), they sat down in front of the fire with Remus and Peter, sighing tiredly as they sank into the fluffy armchairs.

Remus looked up from his book to ponder out loud,

"You know, two weeks wasn't too bad considering you led a tribe of bogey trolls down the corridor of Dumbledore's office."

"I always knew being friends with Hagrid and looking after his creepy pets would pay off one day."

"I still can't believe they spat mucus at that Sophie Midgeon girl… Classic…"

"I still can't believe they didn't punish Moony for stunning Wormtail. I would've been grilled for something like that."

Sirius laughed.

"Well, like you said Prongs, they wouldn't de-prefect Moony."

They sat in silence after that, each of them wondering if de-prefect is a word; if it was a word, whether they would de-prefect Remus; what they would be having for breakfast tomorrow; or what Lily would look like in a leopard skin bikini, and whether she'd like the one James had left on her bed.

"Ahhh, the sweet sound of silence…"

"JAMES POTTER!"

He smiled as he heard Lily stomping down the dormitory steps and felt a leopard skin bikini being thrown in his face.

"What? You didn't like it?"

"Don't even start James Potter – we both know I can hex you to Uranus and back!"

"…"

"Potter! Potter? JAMES!"

James went into a daydream about Lily's uranus when he was snapped out of it by a hard slap around the face.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"I know you with thinking about my uranus."

"Wow! Are you a Seer?"

"Oh shut up! I can't deal with you anymore! Just keep away from me!"

With that she stomped back up to her dormitory and slammed the door loudly. The common room remained silent for several minutes, and stayed so even after Alice had come down from the girls' dormitories and picked up the bikini, mumbling about Lily wanting to try it on.

XxX

The whole of Hogwarts castle was quiet, as students lay asleep in their beds and teachers patrolled the corridors. Gryffindor Common room was empty, and the house-elves were putting out the fire in the grate and seeping up scraps of parchments and bits of food sneaked from the kitchens. The Marauders lay asleep in their dormitory later that same night, silent except for the occasional snore. They all looked so peaceful…

"OH MY LIFE!"

Sirius sat bolt upright under his covers as he looked over to James bed, seeing the other two Marauders doing the same. James was breathing heavily and sweat glistened on his forehead. His face broke into a smile.

"She called me _James_!"

XxX

As the first Hogsmeade visit drew nearer the students third year and above began to get excited and talked of almost nothing else. Everyone was preoccupied during lessons in the week leading up to the trip, that Professor McGonagall actually told her fifth year transfiguration class to have the lesson off, and that they would carry on the next week.

"Good ol' McGonagall!" cheered James.

"Wonder why she'd in such a good mood," said Remus.

"Who cares Moony?" said Sirius, who was leaning back in his chair, arms behind his head and his feet on the desk. He called across the classroom, "We love you Minnie!"

Professor McGonagall looked up from her conversation and gave a small smile and a nod. She carried on talking to a small group near her desk. Another group near the front began to laugh, and James could hear Lily's familiar laughter ringing through the classroom. James tried to peer over the top of Frank Longbottom's head to see.

"Who's she talking to?"

The other Marauders looked at eachother.

"Well…"

"Erm…"

"What? Who is it?"

"Severus." Remus muttered.

"WHAT!?"

The whole class turned to look, except Lily and her small group, who carried on talking as though nothing had happened. James went slightly red, and he couldn't tell whether it was more from embarrassment or anger. He stood up and walked calmly over the where Lily was, and sat straight on her knee. He received a death glare from Snape.

"Snivilly."

"What do you want Potter?"

"I just wanted a little chat."

"And why would you want that, Potter?"

"Well, I – "

"POTTER! GET OFF ME!"

James stood up and looked down at Lily in feigned shock.

"Oh my! Lily! I didn't see you there!"

"Oh shut up and go away, Potter. Can't you see Severus and I are in the middle of a conversation?"

"Well, no actually. All I could see was the end of his abnormally large nose."

Both Snape and Lily stood up out of their chairs, wands drawn and pointed at James' face. Sensing danger, the other Marauders rushed over, but Lily and Snape didn't even blink.

"Apologise, Potter."

"Lily, come on. I mean –"

"Potter!"

James looked over towards Professor McGonagall, to find she wasn't at her desk; he caught a glimpse of a brown tail whipping out the door. The Marauders just stood, watching the scene intently. _Fat load of help you guys are,_ thought James as he turned back to face Lily.

Her eyebrows were stitched together and her mouth, a line thin enough to rival McGonagall's. She was glaring at James with the upmost contempt; her emerald eyes were fiery, but not in the usually, playful manner that she had when they usually argued, but with true anger and hate. It saddened James to know that she was angry because of _him_. She had that look of hate in her eyes because of _him_.

He turned to face Snape, who still hadn't lowered his wand.

"Sorry - Snivilly."

Snape's wand hand flicked furiously as he sent a curse straight at James' chest, sending him flying backwards and slamming into a desk. Lily had a look of terror as she watched him land and ran quickly. The Marauders had whipped out their wands and were flying hexes towards Snape, who countered them quite easily. Sirius decided he couldn't be bothered, and instead, flung towards Snape, tackling him to the floor, punching him wherever he could reach, whilst several Hufflepuff girls screamed and several Gryffindors cheered.

Lily had reached James in a matter of seconds. He had hit his head on the far wall, and was lying unconscious on the floor, his head bleeding a little. Lily gasped, pulled a blanket out of her bag to put under his head, and started checking for breathing. She started to panic, and grabbed his hand. After feeling a pulse, and knowing that he was still breathing, she kept hold of his hand, and watched as the rest of the class were in full battle, hexes and curses flying everywhere, not just from Snape and the Marauders' wands.

Lily's face was wet with tears, and she still had James' hand in both of hers. He felt cold, and his face was pale under his jet-black hair. She closed her eyes tight, wishing so much to be somewhere else, when all the sound in the room suddenly stopped. The screaming and shouting, the curses flying, all stopped, in an instant. Lily turned around, and everything, and everyone had frozen, completely still.

"Miss Evans."

Looking towards the door, Lily saw Dumbledore, his wand raised high. Behind him were McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, both of whom had apprehensive, but quite triumphant looks on their faces.

"Poppy," said Dumbledore, "You shall take Mr Potter up to the Hospital Wing, Minerva will assist you."

Both Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall whisked over to where James and Lily sat, using their wands to conjure an invisible stretcher, to take James away. Lily kept hold of his hand as she made to leave with them.

"Miss Evans, I would like you to stay with me. I will require your assistance."

Lily nodded, and quietly let go of James' hand. She watched it hang limp and silent as he was lifted and carried away.

"Miss Evans, I would ask you to come with me, but I feel that this mess should first be corrected. Please go up to my office and I will meet you there shortly. Lily nodded, and headed out the door.

XxX

_What on Earth just happened?_ She thought, pacing down the corridor. She replayed the scene in her head; James sitting comically on her knee, Snape drawing his wand, James' face as he flew backwards and hit the wall. She could hears the screams and shouts of her classmates ringing through her ears, but all she could think of was James. He had flown so silently. He lay like a ragdoll, even as he was carried out, unconscious. She had half-expected him to jump up, a big grin on his face, shouting 'SURPRISE!', and all the class laughing and smiling along. But of course, it had been quite different. It had really happened, James was really hurt... and it was all Lily's fault.

Before she knew it, Lily's feet had carried her to the 6th floor, and to the corridor that held Dumbledore's office. Only a few weeks before it had occupied a tribe of bogey trolls, and Peter had been 'a distraction' in the Hospital Wing'.

_The Hospital Wing! _

Lily crept towards the door, and poking her head around it quietly, could see Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey bustling around a bed, picking up bottles and potions, and doing various spells. It was quiet except for their scuffling of feet, and Lily could just see a limp hand, hanging off the bed. A tear slid down Lily's cheek. She let a tiny whimper escape her lips, and both the women bustling about stopped and turned towards the door. McGonagall put down the bottle she was currently carrying and walked towards her, shutting the door quietly before her. Lily began to cry even more, shaking slightly as she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

She turned to see Dumbledore, who steered her quietly away down the corridor. He mumbled something as the stone gargoyles sprang out of their way. They went up the spiral staircase and into Dumbledore's office. Lily had never been there before, but hardly looked around, not even to see the mysterious and wonderful object lying around. She sat, crying quietly in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, where he currently sat.

"Miss Evans," he said. She slowly looked up. There was a not the usual glint in his eye, "I would like you to tell me everything that happened please."

Lily told Dumbledore all that happened. She felt kind of silly, because the story felt so short. It had happened so quickly...

"Is that all Miss Evans?"

"Yes, Sir."

There was a long pause, where Dumbledore sat, fingertips together as he sat pondering for a minute or two. Then he said,

"Miss Evans, am I correct in believing you and Mr Potter are, how should I say, romantically involved?"

Lily paused. She had not expected him to say that at all. She answered, with a firm,

"Yes."

Dumbledore gave a weak, but knowing, smile. "Mr Potter will have at least a few days in the Hospital Wing I am sure, but I think Madam Pomfrey will spare you a few moments to visit if you wish."

Lily thanked the Headmaster as she stood up, and made to go out the door. As she went to reach the handle, he said,

"Oh, and Miss Evans, don't let him go; He's quite a keeper."

Lily just smiled.

XxX

Lily stood on Dumbledore's spiral staircase, thinking about what she had just said. _Why did I say yes? I am not, in any way involved with Ja- I mean, Potter._ She grumbled to herself as she started walking past the Hospital Wing. _No way am I ready to face him yet._

She looked at her watch. Transfiguration had been the last lesson of the day, and that was long since over. She made to go down to the library, where maybe she could get some peace and quiet. Walking in, she found it virtually empty. _Everyone must be at dinner,_ she thought, sitting down. She made to grab a book, hoping that maybe she could finish some homework, then remembered she had left her bag in McGonagall's room, and decided that trying to do anything was a lost cause. Defeated, she made her way down to the kitchens, feeling too exhausted to face anyone in the Great Hall.

She tickled the pear, who giggled gratefully (much to her annoyance) and the portrait swung open. Immediately, she was bombarded with questions, from a trio of Marauders.

"Where have you been?"

"Is he okay?"

"Was Dumbledore mad?"

Lily would have chuckled if she didn't feel so sickly.

"I guess none of you wanted to face the Great Hall either then?"

They shook their heads.

"Well, to answer your questions," she said, "I've been with Dumbledore, I've not seen James yet, and Dumbledore just wanted to know what happened."

"You haven't seen James?" asked Remus, "Why?"

Lily gave him a let's-not-talk-about-it-now look, but answered "I wasn't allowed."

This answer seemed to satisfy Sirius and Peter, who began to talk about the crazy lesson they just had.

Lily had come down to eat, but now she was there she didn't really feel like it. She got up, mumbled something about leaving her bag in class, and left the kitchens. She was half-way up the marble stair-case when she heard someone running up behind her.

"Lily! Wait!"

It was Remus, who when he reached her, pulled her into a hug, and began to lead her up the stairs. She started to cry into his shoulder, and by the time they reached the 4th floor corridor, her face was sodden with tears. Remus began pacing Lily, in front of a strange tapestry she'd never noticed. _I just need space to think and talk it over! _She thought, and he paced her a final time.

"Remus, I –"

But she stopped. In front of them had appeared a door that hadn't been there before. Remus steered her in, and found a wide open room. Well, it didn't look like a room; it looked like they were outside. Right next to her was a big oak tree, like the one she would sit under to do her homework, overlooking the lake. She turned and smiled sadly at Remus, who led down to sit under the tree. For a while, she just sat huddled in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Lily," he said, after she had calmed down a little.

"Oh Remus! It was so awful, seeing him hurt like that. He looked so distant and helpless."

"Lily, what happened?"

"McGonagall had gone to fetch Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore froze you all. It just suddenly went quiet. And they took James away to the Hospital Wing, and I told Dumbledore everything, and then he... he asked..."

"Lily, calm down, it's okay, you know you can tell me."

She hesitated.

"He asked me if I was involved with James."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Remus.

"Well... I said... I said yes."

There was a silence, much like the one in Dumbledore's office. Remus obviously hadn't expected that one.

"Why?"

Lily just shook her head.

"I don't know, Remus! It just happened, it felt so right! Seeing James like that made me realise that I take him for granted."

"What do you mean?"

"He's always there. He may be an arrogant idiot sometimes, but he always around, ready to be there for me. And what would I do if he wasn't there anymore? What if I lost him forever? I just wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"I see."

"Well Dumbledore, he put it better than me."

"How so?"

Lily smiled.

"Don't lose him Miss Evans, he's quite a keeper."

XxX

Over the next few days, the Marauders were barely seen away from James' side. They each went to visit him every break, lunch and evening, bringing up dinner and snacks from the kitchens. Sirius and Peter even skipped a few classes to be with him (Remus refused, he _was _a prefect, after all) and they waited with him till he fell asleep.

James, who was slowly, very slowly, getting better, spent all his time in the hospital wing. He had woken up the day after the incident, and couldn't remember a thing. It wasn't till later, when the Marauders visited during lunch that he started getting flashbacks.

He would see McGonagall, Snape, the Marauders. Hell, he even saw images of Frank Longbottom, but he didn't care. He didn't even care about what Snape had done. All he could think about was Lily.

To put it plainly, he was confused.

Even now, he could see her face, mouth tight and eyes glaring angrily. He still felt awful, knowing he made her so unhappy. But, he could envision clearly in his mind, the last image he saw before he blacked out. As he had flown backwards, he'd looked over at Lily. Her face no longer showed the hate and anger of before. She was worried. She was shocked and concerned. To be honest she looked absolutely terrified, her green eyes following James' body till it hit the wall. Then he blacked out.

Yep, he was confused.

XxX

Lily was searching high and low in the 5th year girls' dormitory. The contents of her trunk were strewn all over the floor, dusty books and sweets pulled out from her bed. She'd even pulled down the hanging off her four-poster, just in case. At that moment, Alice walked in. She immediately wished she hadn't.

"Alice! Where have you put him?"

"Put what?"

"I don't know where he is! I can't find him anywhere!"

"Lily, what are yo –"

"Where could he be? I never take him out of my bag!"

"LILY!"

Lily stopped, as though she hadn't really realised Alice was there and she'd been talking to herself.

"What are you on about?"

She looked down bashfully.

"Blankie."

Alice sighed, holding back laughter. Blankie was Lily's, well... Blankie. She had had it since she was a baby, and never went anywhere without it, even if she just kept it in her bag. It was like a lucky charm to her.

"Where did you last see it, Lily?"

"I don't know! I was in Charms a minute ago, and I got stuck so I went to the toilet, so I could... you know, hug Blankie..."

"Yes, I know. Continue."

"Well, I went into my bag, and he was gone! I couldn't find him so I came up here, and now... Well I'm going to have a panic attack or something!!"

"Okay, Lily. Just breathe," said Alice, like she was trying to calm a little child. Lily was now finding it hard to breathe inbetween sobs. "Now, when did you last have Blankie?"

"Well – I – had – him – last – week – during – potions – and – transfiguration – but – I – took – him – out – when – James – "

She gasped loudly and stood up off the bed, a look of sudden understanding on her face.

"I'll be back in a minute."

She sped off out the door, ignoring Alice's confused protests. She headed straight to the 6th floor corridor. She had used Blankie when she had ran to help James, that day in Transfiguration. She had put him under James' head, without thinking about it at all. Now, as she reached the door of the Hospital Wing, she pressed her ear against the door. She couldn't hear anything, so she opened the door as silently as she could. Peeping her head around, she could see the room was empty, except for one fifth year boy sleeping in a bed in the corner.

She tip-toed quietly across the room. James Potter lay sleeping soundly under the sheets, wearing pyjamas with little brooms and snitches on them. Lily smiled. He looked so peaceful and sweet. She scanned the bed, trying to find Blankie. She looked in the drawers of his bedside table, under the bed, in the bag by the side. Just as she was about to give up, she spotted him. Blankie was right where she'd left him; Under Potter's head.

Lily sighed. Trust Potter to make things difficult.

She tried tugging at the corners, edging it out slightly. She tried pushing James ever so slightly, to make him roll over. She even thought of going to the door and 'accio'ing it quickly and running away. Finally she decided there was really only one thing she could do, and she was dreading it.

She would have to wake Potter.

Lily sat, for a moment, preparing herself for the conversation that was bound to come. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She began reasoning with herself in her head.

_You can do this Lily. It's only Potter._

_Exactly! It's James! I told Dumbledore we were _involved_!_

_So? You're not, so why does it matter?_

_But what if he knows? What Remus told him and now he'll make fun of me!_

_Don't be stupid, Remus would never do that. And besides, even if he did, it would just make it easier for you to talk to him about it._

Lily scrunched her eyes tighter and hit her forehead, trying to stop the voice in her head.

"Oh shut up head!"

"...Lily?"

James had woken up. _Oh my gosh! James has woken up! How long has been sitting watching me! Oh crap, he looks smug. He only looks smug when I'm doing something really stupid! What do I do? What the hell am I supposed to say now? I just woke him up by talking... to myself! Oh crap –_

"Lily? Are you okay?"

"I – I – I just came for my Blankie."

"Your what?"

"Blankie... he's under your head."

James sat up, grimacing as he did so.

"Sit back down!" said Lily, seeing the pain in his face. "You're going to make yourself worse!"

James did so. He looked relieved as his back hit the pillow again. Lily watched him, a sympathetic and sad look on her face.

"Is it really that bad?"

"A broken rib," said James, "Must've been when I hit the floor or something. Madam Pomfrey managed to fix my head in a second, but she's ran out of Skelegro from the Quidditch match last weekend. Did you see it? Both teams were in, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Mark Darcy shot a bludger at Sophie Midgeon after the whistle had blown, and both teams got really mad and started launching at each other. It was quite funny actually. None of them used wands – except Alastair Kindey, who jabbed it into Darcy's arm. It was awesome."

Lily laughed. Trust James to make a joke out of everything.

"So how have _you_ been," James asked, "I've not seen you for almost a week."

" Well, I've been –"

"Avoiding me?" finished James, not taking his eyes off her face. She didn't dare look at him in case she said something else stupid. "Lily, Remus told me what you did in Transfiguration. He told me. So why would you not come to see me? You obviously cared enough to help me then."

"W-What else did Remus tell you?"

"Well he said that you rushed over to help me and went with Dumbledore to talk – "

"Did he tell you what we said?"

"No," James said. He looked at Lily who had finally looked up from her feet. Her eyes looked so large and green, yet where a happy fire would usually reside, tears were filling up.

"James... in Dumbledore's office... he asked me, if we were... you know... a couple."

James didn't seem fazed by this. In fact he (painfully) sat up under his sheets, and took Lily by the hand.

"Lily, you know how I feel about you. Ever since first year, it's only ever been you. I love you."

Tears fell down Lily's cheeks. She didn't want to speak. She wanted to stop herself. Just take Blankie and run. But she couldn't. There was something in James' eyes that forced her to stay. He looked so concerned and thoughtful. So caring. He cared about her. All those times she had convinced herself it was just a joke, just playful banter going back and forth. Or maybe that somehow she was just a challenge, a trophy to be won. But that wasn't it. Lily could see now, in his eyes, it was more than that.

He really loved her.

"James... I – I"

She felt James' arms wrap around her shoulders and envelope her, pulling her into his lap on the bed. They sat embraced together for a while and James' cooed and consoled her, and cupped her teary face. She put her lips to his for a short, sweet moment then stared into his eyes.

"I love you, too."

XxX

THE END

XxX

Hope you liked it!  
Reviews are really appreciated, I'd love to hear from you!

Emily x


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